Apparatus for the maintenance of facades of buildings particularly of facades having wide glass surfaces

Abstract

 This invention occupies the technical field of apparatus for the manteinance of the facades of buildings particularly of facades with wide glass surfaces and comprises a framework (102, 2) characterized by means of delivery (100, 4, 80, 81) acting on the glazed surface (3) which operate simultaneously with drying means (108, 8, 9, 74) on said glazed surface.
furthermore the apparatus is equipped with means for the moving (73, 14, 30, 51)of the framework along the glazed surface and means (160, 16, 40, 41) to keep the framework constantly parallel to the latter.
the apparatus also comprises a control unit (7) designed to operate the framework and the means referred to.

Description

[0001] This invention covers an apparatus for the maintenance of facades of buildings particularly of facades with wide glass surfaces.

[0002] As it is known the extensive develpoement in the building industry recently has involved the construction of single buildings and urban areas with ever greater emphasis on the aestetic and technical requirements of the latter on the basis of the new construction materials available on the market today.

[0003] An important aspect in building construction is that deriving from the type of material used for the enclosing and protection of the building structure.

[0004] In the building industry, due to its properties of resistance, light trasmission, resistance to corrosion by external agents, and to its attractive appearence and other further characteristics, recently glass has been used increasingly often as a material for the enclosure and protection of buildings.

[0005] The sheets of glass in such constructions are generally placed one beside the other and supported by structural metal, generally alluminium, which extends both logitudinally and crosswise to the building so as to realize the so-called continuos facades formed enterely by glass surfaces.

[0006] As mentioned above, glass, although possessing particular characteristics which make it ideal for use as an element for the enclosure and protection of buildings, has the disavantage that it has to be subjected periodically to the cleaning of the glass surfaces made up by it which, as will be easily understood, tend to become dirty to a degree which may be more or less obvious depending on the location of the building or the climatic conditions in the area of the construction.

[0007] The operation of cleaning glazed surfaces of buildings is currently performed by specialized companies that normally use , in addition to manual labour, scaffolding which is extremely expensive to erect, or aereal platforms.

[0008] These familiar devices for the cleaning of glazed surfaces and others still existing in addition to only being suitable for certain buildings, for example buildings which are not characterized by considerable height, as already mentioned, require the use of specialized labour and do not guarantee the operators a high degree of safety during the glass cleaning operation.

[0009] The objective of the invention in question is that of eliminating the abovementioned disavantages by realizing an apparatus for the maintenance of facades of buildings particularly facades with wide glass surfaces which apparatus permits the cleaning or maintenance of the same in an efficent manner without the need for labour, save in a limited way and, in any case, ensuring absolute safety.

[0010] In this connection an important objective of the invention is to design an apparatus capable of being used on any of surface of a facade no matter whath its structural conformation may be.

[0011] Another aim of the invention is the realization of an apparatus characterized by a limited cost which can be amortized in a very short period of use for the cleaning or manteinance of glazed surfaces.

[0012] Another aim of the invention is the design of an apparatus which is extremely easy to use and which can be adapted to any application by its operator such as the painting or disinfestation of a facade.

[0013] The task in addition to this and other objectives are realized by an apparatus for the maintenance of facades of buildings particularly of facades having wide glass surfaces characterized in that it comprises a framework presenting means of delivery acting on a glass surface, means of drying said glazed surface co-operating with said delivery means, means of moving said framework along said glazed surface, a control unit for the operation of said framework also being provided for.

[0014] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are detailed in the description of a form of execution which is preferred but not exclusive, of the apparatus according to the invention which is illustrated in general and nonbinding form, in the attached drawings in which : -

- figure 1 is a cutaway side elevation wiew showing the apparatus according to the invention;

- figures 2a and 2b are a cutaway side elevation view showing a different realization of the apparatus for the maintenance of the building facades according to the invention;

- figure 3 is a side elevation view of a different form of realization of the apparatus shown in figures 2a and 2b according to the invention;

- figure 4 is a cutaway perspective view showing the further form of realization of the apparatus according to the invention;

- figures 5 and 6 are a perspective view of the means of movement of the framework along the glazed surface according to the invention;

- figure 7 is a partial pertspective view showing the means of keeping the framework parallel to the glazed surface according to the invention ;

- figure 8 illustrates another form of realization of the means of movement of the framework along the glazed surface and of the means of keeping the framework parallel to the glazed surface according to the invention;

- figure 9 is a prepective view showing a further form of realization of the means of keeping the framework parallel to the glazed surface to be cleaned and of the means of delivering and cleaning of the glazed surface according to the invention;

- figure' 10 is a perspective view of the framework showing a further form of realization of the means of moving the framework along the glazed surface;

- figure 11 shows how the parallelism between the framework and the glazed surface can be obtained by the use of at least one propeller . with reference to the figure cited the apparatus according to the invention as indicated as a whole by reference number 1 and comprises a framework 102 characterized by means of delivery for example of a fluid onto the glazed surface 3 and more particularly by a rotating brush 100 connected by means of a shaft 101 to a motor 103 preferably an internal combustion engine .

[0015] Inside the framework 102 there is a pressurized tank 104 containing a detergent fluid 105 which is delivered, by means of channel ,to rotating brush 100.

[0016] The framework is also fitted with means of drying indicated as a whole by 107 which comprise a suction inlet 108 equipped, on the part facing the glass 3, with a flexible extremity 109 designed to clean the window.

[0017] Suction inlet 108 is also connected by means of an initial pipe 110 to a suction pump 111 whichn sucks the dirty fluid and conveys it , through a second pipe 112 , to a storage tank 113 equipped with pipe 114 with cock 115 to discharge the dirty liquid at the end of the job.

[0018] Suction pump 111 is operated by transmission belt 116 which engages two pulleys 117 keyed respectively onto the pump shaft and onto output shaft 118 coaxial with motor shaft 101 and driven by the latter. At the free end of output shaft 118 there are means of mantaining the framework to the glazed surface and more particularly a fan 60 housed in a special aera equipped with grille (120).

[0019] In a different form of realization framework 2 is characterized by means of delivery of the fluid onto the glazed surface 3 comprizing at least a nozzle, and preferably a plurality of nozzles, each indicated by reference number 4. Nozzles 4 are connected by means of water pipe 5 to two pressurized tanks 6 containing said fluid, which are suitably housed in the framework 2 or housed in a control unit, indicated as a whole by 7, designed to contained all the devices necessary for the operation of framework 2 as will be explained in more detail further on.

[0020] The means of drying of the glazed surface in this technical variant comprise two rollers, each indicated by 8 and 9, which are advantageously parallel to each other and revolve around their own axis and with a surface characterized by a number of flexible fins 10 which project radially from both rollers 8 and 9 fundamentally for the entire length of the same.

[0021] Rollers 8 and 9 are alternately, depending on whether the apparatus 1 is performing an ascending or descending movement along the glazed surface, brought in contact with the latter by means of an approach device.

[0022] The approach device comprises support element 60 for both rollers 8 and 9 associated in rotary manner with the extremities opoposite it, the extremity to which roller 8 is associated being further hinged to the upper part of the framework 2 so that the opposite extremity, supporting roller 9, can oscillate around said axis of hinging.

[0023] The support element is activated by an operating system, indicated as a whole as 61, in opposition and by the action of elastic means qand more particularly by a spring 62.

[0024] Operating system 61 comprises essentially a piston 63 associated at one end at rotary manner with frame 2, near roller 8, from the stem 64 of which there extends an arm 65 fitted with a wheel 66 which, during the action of the piston, engages in a space 67 the lower part of which is delimited by the framework and by a bar 68, extending from the end of the support element with which roller 9 is associated, sunbstantially parallel to arm 65. It thus follows that when wheel 66 engages space 67 support element 60 revolves around the axis of hinging thus engaging the roller 9 with, or disengaging it from, the glazed surface to be dried, as required.

[0025] Obviously when the roller 9 is in contact with the glazed surface the roller 8 will be moved away from the latter and vice versa.

[0026] It should bre noted furthermore that the stem is characterized by, in a pre-estabilished part, a radial hole 69 to permit, when wheel 66 is engaged in space 67, the unrestricted translation of end-of-stroke rod 70.

[0027] The two rollers 8 and 9 are inter-connected by belt 71 and furthermore roller 8 is activated, still by means of a second belt 72 directly by a motor powered windlass 14 by means of a reduction gear of known type designed for the translation of the apparatus along the glazed surface. in a variant relization, for example, in place of the two rotating rollers, flexible brushes 74 can be used which extend over the face of the frame towards the galzed surface and having a form, at the ends, which is basically curved to permit the discharge of the water together with the dirt removed.

[0028] In another variant realization roller 8 is rotate by motor 11, which can be activated pneumatically, hydraulically or electrically depending on the circumstances, while roller 9 is rotated by belt 12 running on pulley 13 integral with the latter and with the corresponding pulley integral with roller 8.

[0029] In a suitable manner rollers 8 and 9 are arranged parallel to the alligned nozzles 4, included among them, or arranged alternately with them permitting the cleaning and drying of the glazed surface during ascent or descent over it. To permit the movement of the framework 2, as already stated, from the bottom to the top and vice versa over the glazed surface 3 the apparatus comprises means of movement and more particularly a windlass 14 connected to the framework 2 and designed to wind or unwind around its axis at least one cable 15 supporting the framework 2.

[0030] An advantage is that the windlass 14 can, for example, be connected to a lattice frame 73 associated with control unit 7 which, in this case, acts as a counterwheight to counter balance the suspended framework.

[0031] Lattice frame 73 can also be associated with a counterweight comprising a tank of liquid 74 which can be filled with liquid as required. To ensure that framework 2 always moves parallel to glazed surface 3, so that the drying action performed by the rollers 8 and 9 reaches optimum efficiency, the framework is provided with maintaining means comprising at least two brackets and more paricularly four brackets 16 duly spaced and associated on the opposed sides of framework 2 so that they extend from it in a direction facing the glazed surface 3.

[0032] The brackets 16 support in rotary manner each in a portion of the extremity a pair of wheels 17 and in an intermediate portion a single wheel 18 engaging respectively inside a drive organ generally indicated by 19 and above the glazed surface. The single wheel 18 furthermore translates in opposition to elastic means and more particularly a spring 20 when approaching and moving away from the pair of wheels 17 so as to mantain the framework 2 constantly parallel to the glazed surface 3.

[0033] It should also be pointed out that guide organ 19 can be made up directly by the uprights constituting the support of the galzed surface or the guide organ can be made up of a rail fitted to the surface of the glazed surface designed to permit the framework 2 to run along it.

[0034] Furthermore, at the top and bottom of framework 2 there is at least one end-of-stroke device and particularly for example two end-of-stroke devices 21 and 22 which are suitably connented to control unit 7 to stop framework 2 when the latter reaches the end of its travel over glazed surface 3.

[0035] In another form of realization means of moving the framework over the glazed surface comprise a base 30 equipped with an operating system characterized by at least one telescopic piston and in the example proposed two telescopic pistons 31 and 32 projected at right angle from base 30 in a direction parallel to the glazed surface so as to permit translation along the latter by the framework 2 supported by the extremities of pistons 31 and 32.

[0036] In a further form of ralization the apparatus involves at least one cable, in figure 9, two cables 40 and 41 connected at the respective extremities to windlass 14 at the opposite ends to mobile counter-weight 42 designed designed to mantain them perfectly taut and basically parallel to the glazed surface 3 in such a way as to provide two guides to permit the framework, which has two through holes 43 and 44, to run along them in a pre-estabilished direction.

[0037] the movement of framework 2 can, for example, be obtained by the use of a motor-operated cylinder rotating around its own axis and having on its outher surface a plurality of suction cups 51 designed to adhere to the glazed surface.

[0038] Suction cups 51 are in groups communicating with pneumatic system 52 designed to selectively evacuate from or introduce inside them a quantity of air so that the suction cups adhere perfectly to the glass during the translatoin movement of framework 2 and are released equally easily from the glass during the rotation of the roller on the glazed surface.

[0039] To obtain therefore, as already mentioned, a perfect adherence between framework 2 and the glazed surface to be cleaned there can also be, on the side opposite the glazed surface , at least one propeller or fan 160 designed to execise a pressure on the framework itself in a directoin which is substantially at right angles to the plane defined by the glazed surface 3.

[0040] Solely for the sake of example it should also be explained that the means of delivery for the removal of the dirt and for the drying of the glazed surface can, for example, be realized by means of an ultrasonic device 80 and at least one blower nozzle using pressurizd air 81 to remove totally the dirt displaced by the ultrasonic device .

[0041] In more detail the means of delivery for the removal of the dirt comprises two systems 75 and 76 to convey the dirt which are housed in framework 2 near the drying means and are both connected to at least one tank 77 to collect the dirty fluid this also being connected to framework 2.

[0042] The operation of the apparatus according to the invention is as follows.

[0043] With the control unit, counter-weight 74 and support frame 73 on the roof, for example, by means of a remote control one activates windlass 14 for the raising or lowering the apparatus over the glazed surface.

[0044] At the same time motor 103 rotates brush 100 and the detergent is suppiled by means of the opening of valve 130 while pump 111, by means of suction inlet 108, sucks the dirty fluid from the glass for conveying to collection tank 113.

[0045] In the variant shown in figures 1 and 2 on the other hand, depending on whether the apparatus is being raised or lowered, by means of piston 63 drying roller 8 or 9 is brought into contact with the glazed surface said roller conveying the detergent fluid together with the dirt removed to the conveying systems 75 and from these to collection tank 77 basically preventing the soiling and the dispersion of dirt in the surrounding areas.

[0046] It has been found in practice that the apparatus according to the invention is particularly advantageous for the cleaning and maintenance of the glazed surfaces of buildings of considerable height without necessarily having to use specialized labour and without involving, for the cleaning personell, any dangerous operation as the apparatus is completely automated and manned by a single operator who works in absolute safety. The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants all within the scope of the concept of the invention, for example, the apparatus can be effectively used to supply the facade paint, disinfecting liquids or any other material designed for the maintainence of the same; furthermore all the detalis may be substituted with tecnically equivalent elements.

[0047] In practice both materials and dimentions can be those determined by requirements and the state of technical developement.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the maintenance of facades of buildings particularly of facades having wide glass surfaces, characterized in that it comprises a framework (102,2) equipped with delivery means(100, 4, 80, 81) acting on the glazed surface (3), drying means (108, 8, 9, 74) for said glazed surface co-operating with said delivery means, means of movement ( 73, 14, 30, 51) of said framework across said glazed surface, there being a control unit (7) for the operation of said framework.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said delivery means include a rotating brush (100) connected, by means of a motor shaft (101), to a motor (103), and at least one storage tank (104) for a detergent fluid (105) from which there extends a channel (106) for the delivery of said fluid to said rotating brush.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said delivery means comprise at least one nozzle (4) designed for the delivery under pressure of that fluid, said nozzle being connected by means of a pipe to the same at least one tank (104, 6) to contain said fluid.

4. Apparatus in accordance to claim 1, characterized in that said delivery means comprise at least one ultrasonic device (80) in conjunction with at least one blower (81) suitable of air under pressure to said glazed surface.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said delivery means comprise at least one system (75, 76) to convey said dirt housed in said framework in the vicinity of said drying means and connected to at least one tank (77) for the collection of said dirt.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said drying means comprise a suction inlet (108) having, on the glazed surface side, a flexible extremity (109) and, on the opposite side , an initial pipe (110) in conjunction with a suction pump (111) for the dirty fluid, said pump having a second pipe (112) connected to a collection tank (113) for said dirty fluid, said collection tank being fitted with a pipe (114) with cock (115) for the discharge of said dirty fluid.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that said pump has, keyed onto its shaft, pulley (117) operated by a transmission belt (116), by a second pulley (117) keyed onto an output shaft (118) of said motor, said output shaft being coaxial with said motor shaft.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said drying means comprise at least one roller (8, 9) rotating around its own axis and having several fins (10) developing radially from its surface and along its lenght.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said drying means comprise flexible brushes (74) having at their extremities curved form and extending along the entire side of said framework facing said glazed surface .

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said means of movement comprise a lattice frame (73) supporting said framework, a counter-weight (7, 74) in conjunction with said lattice frame to counter-balance said suspended framework, said lattice frame having a windlass (14) for the operation of at least one cable (15) supporting said framework across said glazed surfaace.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said means of movement comprise a base (30) fitted with an operating system comprising at least one telescopic piston (31, 32) at right angles to it and parallel to said glazed surface, said piston supporting said framework for its translation across said glazed surface.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said means of movement comprise at least one motor powered cylinder rotating around its own axis and having on its outer surface a plurality of suction cups (51) designed to adhere to said glazed surface, said suction cups being in communication with pneumatic system (52) designed to selectively expel or introduce said air into said suction cups for the transfer of said framework along said glazed surface.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said mantaining means comprise a fan (160) connected to the end of said output shaft.

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said means of mantaining said framework comprise at least two spaced brackets (16) fixed to said framework, said brackets supporting in a rotary manner in a part of the extremity a pair of wheels (17) and in an intermediate part a single wheel (18) respectively engaging internally in a guide system (19) connected in the upper part to said glazed surface, said second wheel translating in opposition to elastic means (20) towards or away from said pair of wheels to keep said framework parallel to said glazed surface.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said mantaining means comprise at least one cable (40, 41) connected at one end to said lattice support and at the other end to mobile counter-weight (42), said cable being parallel to said glazed surface and designed for the running support of said framework.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an alternative approach device (60, 61, 62) of said rollers to said glazed surface.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that said approach device comprises a support element (60) for said rollers having a hingeing axis at one of its ends with said framework and the opposite end mobile around said hingeing axis, at least one operating system (61) for said end opposed for its oscillation in opposition and by the action of elastic means (62).

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that said operating system comprises a piston (63) connected in rotary manner at one end to said framework and having an arm (65) extending perpendicularly from its stem (64), fitted with a wheel (66) engaging in a space (67) bounded by said framework and a bar (68) extending at right angles from said opposite ends.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18, characterized in that said stem has, in one portion a radial hole (69) for the passage of an end-of-stroke rod (70) when said wheel is engaged in said space.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that said nozzles are arranged parallel to said rollers in said frame and in alternation with them.

22. Apparatus according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said counter-weight is constituted by said control unit (7) for the operation of said nozzles, said rollres, said fluid and said framework.

23. Apparatus in accordance with one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one end-­of-stroke system (21, 22) connected to a portion of the extremity of said framework and connected to said control unit for the stopping of said framework in an end of operation position.

Drawing